|
ALBERTA BIOLOGISTS' BIWEEKLY
SEPTEMBER 1, 2023
| |
Want to see the graphics in this issue?
| |
|
What does Generative AI
Have to Say about Biologists?
Constant Contact (our newsletter software) made available an opportunity to test generative AI at work, so your ASPB Editor typed in the following statement and clicked on the buttons to request an "announcement" with a "professional tone":
Professional biologists protect the interest of the public.
And within scant seconds, this is what it produced:
As a society, we rely on the expertise of professional biologists to safeguard our health, our environment, and our collective well-being. From monitoring water quality to researching new medicines, these dedicated professionals work tirelessly to protect the interests of the public. Whether they are analyzing data, conducting experiments, or advocating for policy changes, biologists play a critical role in ensuring that our communities thrive. At a time when the world is facing unprecedented challenges, the importance of their work cannot be overstated. So let us take a moment to recognize and appreciate the vital role that professional biologists play in safeguarding our future.
Interesting, isn’t it!
Don’t forget to join Generative AI Officer Mike Mason from Thoughtworks for a complementary webinar hosted by the ASPB between 16:00 and 18:00 hrs on September 12th.
Is AI relevant to you?
Join us with Mike Mason
LOG IN HERE
at 4:00 pm Sept. 12
| |
|
CLICK THIS GRAPHIC BELOW AND GET SET
TO JOIN US IN RED DEER IN NOVEMBER
↓
| |
Field Law-
Human Rights Claims After Termination:
A Valid Release Puts the Past in the Past
A recent decision from the Alberta Human Rights Commission reminds us that an employee’s human rights complaint will not be able to proceed if the employee has signed a valid release upon the termination of their employment. Read more HERE
| |
The ASPB Conference Committee
Invites Conference Sponsors
The ASPB Annual Conference and AGM will be held in Red Deer, November 22-24, 2023.
Sponsorship Packages are available
HERE.
| |
ASPB Board Proposes Bylaw Changes
To build continuity with the Board and the Leadership of the organization, the ASPB Board of Directors has put forth proposed Bylaw changes to be voted on at the upcoming AGM, to be held on November 24, 2023 at Red Deer, AB. You can view the proposed changes HERE.
| |
|
BUILDING YOUR
CAREER?
See what's new on the
BIOLOGISTS'
JOB BOARD
Environmental Scientist - Biologist
Environmental Planner - Team Lead
Wildlife Biologist/Ecologist
Int./Sr. Environmental Scientist
Senior Aquatic Biologist
Senior Ecologist
Wetland Specialist
Sr. or Int. Wildlife Biologist
Project Biologist
Regulatory Specialist
Executive Director
Senior Fisheries Biologist
Manager of Compliance - Temp.
Junior Agrologist
Fish and Wildlife Biologists
Environmental Specialist
Senior Terrestrial Biologist
Ag. Service Board Unit Manager
Senior Aquatic Ecologist
Senior Biologist
FIND INFORMATION
ON THESE AND MANY OTHER POSITIONS
HERE
| |
|
Social Media and Freedom of Speech
A recent article published by Field Law notes that the Ontario Superior Court has upheld Regulator’s Limits in the case of professional psychologist Jordan Peterson: “The Jordan Peterson case serves as a significant reminder for professional regulatory organizations to delicately balance the constitutional right to freedom of speech with the imperative to uphold professional standards.” The full article can be found on the Field Law website HERE.
| |
|
ASPB Board Nominations Open
The Board of Directors of the ASPB has appointed Past President Victoria Lukasic as Chair of the 2023 Nominating Committee. The positions of President Elect, Board Secretary and three Directors are open for election at the Annual General Meeting on November 24, 2023 at Red Deer, AB. If you are a professional ASPB registrant, and are interested in putting your name forward for one of these positions, please contact the Past President through the office (info@aspb.ab.ca) or the Executive Director HERE.
| |
Take your camera to work!
(or your smartphone if you prefer)
The ASPB Conference Committee is hosting a photo contest in 2023,
and will announce the winners at the annual conference in November.
Photo submission guidelines are HERE.
| |
SEMINARS, WEBINARS & CONFERENCES
SEPTEMBER
| |
Legislation and Conducting
Projects Near Water
Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) in Ontario, Prairie and Arctic regions are providing information sessions on DFO Legislation and Conducting Projects Near Water. To attend the September session, click here: September 19, 2023 @11:00 – 12:30 CST and allow the link to open in your web browser (please use Chrome or Edge). If you have the Teams application installed, click on “Open in Microsoft Teams” in the pop-up window or “Launch it Now”. If you do not have the Teams application installed, click “Join on the Web Instead”.
| |
ABMI WEBINAR
The ABMI’s Intactness Index—Measuring Biodiversity, on Wednesday, September 27, 2023. Register here.
| |
SEMINARS, WEBINARS & CONFERENCES
OCTOBER
| |
Whitebark Pine Science and
Management Conference in October
The annual Whitebark Pine Science and Management Conference will take place October 12 and 13, 2023 in Revelstoke, BC. There will also be two optional field trips: a pre-conference trip on October 11 to tour the Kalamalka Research Center in Vernon, and a post-conference trip on October 14 to visit 5-needle pine stands near Golden. Early Bird Registration is open until June 30, and here you can find: Conference details and Registration.
| |
fRI Research to Host Forum
In Edmonton, October 24-26
After a prolonged hiatus due to health restrictions, fRI Research is excited to provide an opportunity for resource practitioners, policy makers, scientists, and community leaders to review and discuss new research findings related to mountain pine beetle. Major concerns targeted by this research include climate change, anthropogenic intervention, forest composition, socio-economic values, watersheds and their impact on water flow, biota, species at risk, and public safety as it pertains to wildfire. You can learn more about the forum and register HERE
| |
SEMINARS, WEBINARS & CONFERENCES
NOVEMBER
| |
NABC Banding Workshop
and Certification in Belize
Hosted by the Toucan Ridge Ecology and Education Society at the TREES Research Center in the Maya Mountains of Belize, these sessions will be held November 11-15, 2023 and November 17-18, 2023. For full information visit www.ecorana.ca
| |
Legislation and Conducting
Projects Near Water
Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) in Ontario, Prairie and Arctic regions are providing information sessions on DFO Legislation and Conducting Projects Near Water. To attend the November session, click here: November 21, 2023 @ 11:00-12:30 CST and allow the link to open in your web browser (please use Chrome or Edge). If you have the Teams application installed, click on “Open in Microsoft Teams” in the pop-up window or “Launch it Now”. If you do not have the Teams application installed, click “Join on the Web Instead”.
| |
ASPB 2023 AGM and Conference
The ASPB 2023 Annual Conference will be on November 22, 23, and 24 at the Red Deer Resort and Casino in Red Deer, Alberta.
For More Information Go
| |
|
GRASSLAND RESTORATION FORUM
FALL EVENTS
-
How to Use Range Plant Community Guides and Recovery Strategies Manuals for Project and Reclamation Planning in Grasslands Cassils Hall, near Brooks, Alberta - September 13th, 2023
-
Hands on! Grassland Assessment Training Antelope Creek Ranch, near Brooks, Alberta, September 14th, 2023
-
Grassland Restoration Forum Fall Information Session GRF Fall Information Session, Claresholm, Alberta, November 16th, 2023. The theme this year is SEEDS. A meeting of the Southern Alberta Native Seed Collaborative (SANSC) is planned for the following day.
Register online for the above events HERE. For more information, contact info.grf.ab@gmail.com or call Donna Watt at 403-563-8925.
| |
COLUMBIA MOUNTAINS INSTITUTE
Thanks to the generous support of the Columbia Basin Trust and KCP, we are able to offer this series free of charge. For full details and registration please go
| |
|
NATURAL RESOURCES
TRAINING GROUP
Fish Habitat Restoration – Instream Techniques – Self Paced – September 4th, 2023
https://nrtraininggroup.com/events/fish-habitat-restoration-instream-techniques-self-paced-september-4th-2023/
Electrofishing Certification – Online (self-paced) & Dartmouth (Lower Sackville), 6th September 2023
https://nrtraininggroup.com/events/electrofishing-certification-online-self-paced-dartmouth-lower-sackville-6th-september-2023/
Electrofishing Certification – Online & Fort McMurray, 12th September 2023
https://nrtraininggroup.com/events/electrofishing-certification-online-fort-mcmurray-12th-september-2023/
Electrofishing Certification – Online (self-paced) & North Vancouver, 14th September 2023
https://nrtraininggroup.com/events/electrofishing-certification-online-self-paced-north-vancouver-14th-september-2023/
Ichthyology – Online, September 14-15, 2023
https://nrtraininggroup.com/events/ichthyology-online-september-14-15-2023/
Electrofishing Certification – Online (self-paced) & Cochrane, 15th September 2023
https://nrtraininggroup.com/events/electrofishing-certification-online-self-paced-cochrane-13th-september-2023/
Amphibian and Reptile Salvage Methods (Online) September 27-28, 2023
https://nrtraininggroup.com/events/amphibian-and-reptile-salvage-methods-online-july-26-27-2023/
Wetland Assessment – Online, September 27-28, 2023
https://nrtraininggroup.com/events/wetland-assessment-online-september-27-28-2023/
Electrofishing Certification – Online (self-paced) & Prince George, 29th September 2023
https://nrtraininggroup.com/events/electrofishing-certification-online-self-paced-prince-george-29th-september-2023/
Snorkel Survey Techniques – September 29th (Online) & October 27th (Courtenay)
https://nrtraininggroup.com/events/snorkel-survey-techniques-september-29th-online-october-27th-courtenay/
For course details and the full calendar of upcoming courses the link is here:
https://nrtraininggroup.com/schedule/
| |
SALMTEC
COURSES AND TRAINING PROGRAMS
Understanding ACIMS Tools Online Course
Alberta Soil Information Viewer Online Course
Alberta Wetland Policy Basics Online Course
Navigating the Alberta Soil Information Viewer Video Short (free)
Wetland Water Cycle Video Short (free)
VISIT THE SALMTEC CONNECTOR
THE CONNECTOR is a compilation of applied science and land management event listings, across a variety of sectors and disciplines, published monthly.
You can find the SALMTEC CONNECTOR HERE.
| |
|
Alberta Utilities Commission Will Continue
to Process Renewable Energy Applications
According to a media release dated August 22, 2023, the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) will continue to process applications up to the approval stage for new hydro developments and power plants that produce renewable electricity, while the approval pause period is in effect. The AUC is prohibited from issuing approvals until the pause period expires.
On August 3, 2023, the AUC had issued an announcement asking stakeholders to provide feedback on three options for implementing the approval pause or to suggest alternative implementation options, and received nearly 600 stakeholder submissions. The Generation Approvals Pause Regulation had been enacted through a concurrent order-in-council, prohibiting the AUC from issuing approvals from August 3, 2023, to February 29, 2024, for new hydro developments or power plants that produce renewable electricity, subject to certain exceptions for small power plants, isolated generating units and micro-generation.
On August 23, 2023, Jorden Dye, acting director of the Business Renewables Centre-Canada, made the following statement in response to the AUC announcement: "In the absence of the Alberta government removing the moratorium, the Alberta Utilities Commission took the least worst option. The speed of the decision is a good beginning, signaling to the market that they understand the severity of the market risk introduced by the moratorium. Despite this action, a new layer of uncertainty has been added for developers to deal with, as the AUC says it is going to require new interim information on issues such as agricultural land, viewscapes and reclamation security for new applications. The AUC says these new requirements will be issued "shortly" and we encourage them to move with all speed in providing this direction to the market."
| |
|
We regularly receive notifications from Google Scholar Alerts and other sources which we select and share below in the BIWEEKLY. Here is the latest batch (the links are HOT):
Whose line is it anyway? Moose (Alces alces) response to linear features
Farming Smarter Pollination Conservation Project Report
Using a Cost-Distance Time-Geographic Approach to Identify Red Deer Habitat Use in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada
Pollinator Sanctuaries: a new model for pollinator insect conservation
Pollinator animals: an overview
Recolonization following past persecution questions the importance of persistent snow cover as a range limiting factor for wolverines
Pest Elaterids of North America: New Insights and Opportunities for Management
Montana climate case delivers win for youth, science, and the environment
Prioritizing bull trout recovery actions using a novel cumulative effects modelling framework
Efficacy of one‐time rotenone application for Westslope Cutthroat Trout restoration in Boulder Creek, Montana
Zinc Water Quality Guidelines-Freshwater Aquatic Life
Modelling migratory behaviour and habitat use of fish in a large, uninterrupted river network: A case study of a migratory salmonid
Embryo definition needs to change
Confounding effects of snow cover on remotely sensed vegetation indices of evergreen and deciduous trees: An experimental study
Existing flower preference metrics disagree on best plants for pollinators: which metric to choose?
Wastewater-based epidemiology of Campylobacter spp.: A systematic review and meta-analysis of influent, effluent, and removal of wastewater treatment plants
A GIS Look at Woody Plant Encroachment (WPE): Mapping Grassland Degradation Through Habitat Succession
Predicting favourable streams for anadromous salmon spawning and natal rearing under climate change
Lawns represent an incredible loss of habitat.
Corridor-based approach with spatial cross-validation reveals scale-dependent effects of geographic distance, human footprint and canopy cover on grizzly bear …
Low-impact line construction retains and speeds recovery of trees on seismic lines in forested peatlands
Predation potential and life history of three nabid species as biological control agents of pests in Canadian Greenhouses
In the battle of hummingbirds versus wasps, pick a side
Matching Management Objectives to the Fast-Paced Life of Pronghorn
The United States annually drops more than nine million delicious ketchup-packet-sized doses of rabies vaccine
The evolving circle of landscape design
Are IPCAs the future of conservation in Canada
| |
|
Banner Image:
Cranes over the South Saskatchewan
Photo credit Phil Taylor
PROFESSIONAL BIOLOGISTS PROTECT THE PUBLIC INTEREST
In Alberta, Professional Biologists are registrants of the Alberta Society of Professional Biologists (ASPB), and are subject to a code of ethics, continuing competency requirements, and a disciplinary process. The ASPB is a self-regulated organization under legislation in the Province of Alberta, meaning its purpose is to protect the public of Alberta by ensuring biologists are qualified to practice biology in accordance with that legislation. The society is governed by a Board of Directors elected by its registrants.
You are probably receiving this newsletter because you are an ASPB Registrant. This newsletter provides relevant information and professional development opportunities for our members, as well as essential member-related society business; if you are registered with the Alberta Society of Professional Biologists, please DO NOT unsubscribe.
For more information about the Society or to contact the administration, please visit the website: https://www.aspb.ab.ca
Opinions and general news published in this e-newsletter
do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of the Society or its Board of Directors.
| | | | |
